Mills

Our condolences and prayers for you and them.

What Archie recommended is the very type of forge that my grandfather used. It is effective and cheap. Ditto on the sledge hammer head.

For reference, I needed to replace a couple of pickets in a fence 36" each. Was at the local big box so I thought I may just snag a 6 footer and go. 18+ dollars. I knew that was high for tubing so when I went to my normal supplier I picked a up a stick (20') for $12.

I don't know about a BP for forging the shank but there are BPs for drawing and fullering. Say you have a 1" hardy hole get some 1 1/4 then make a spring fuller and draw to close dimensions. Finish to your satisfaction

We could use a discard pile to see what has been used caue this is getting HARD.

Johnny99 is pretty much on the money as well as Bruce. Do you hear the flaws in your plans and then find a way to make it work anyway? You will probably do well. If you gloss over the flaws cause you don't like to hear them, you may do ok anyway, but lower odds of success. Staying focused on the goal is the key I am discovering. I have been doing marginally ok but get bogged down in making stuff that is ill advised. Sounds nice but really wastes time I should have spent bringing in money. I kinda see some of that now that J-99 points it out. Do you HAVE a client base that will pay for strictly hand forged work? How long will it take to develop? Are you that good? Now WE don't need the answers to the questions. And the only sure way to answer them is like learning the trapeze. At some point you gotta jump and it is wise to have a net or be low to the ground. Dallas is kind of a big place can you it narrow that down some?

with an all star CAST

This would be part time? Can you make enough products or teach to cover the overhead? will going this route substantially change your current time investment, will the family be put on the shelf, will you burn out? Lastly there was some really good thoughts in the last month in the knifemakers forum as it related to blades and selling. Lastly where are you? I might come visit.

I play a HARP.

Junk Metal, What is that? ;)

How about pack pucks?

Its not a fake

salt, and salt

or pick your Nose?

Great one! You also made it possible for more clothes to be stored on the top bar so that the wife will need to go shopping in order to do that... MAN what were you thinking? :)

I just picked up a Milwaukee portaband for $210 which included shipping. It is a reconditioned one from CPO Milwaukee and was on its clearance rack. Milwaukee Reconditioned Tools There is the link. I chose the 2 spd, deep cut version w/o a case for 199 and 8+ fro shipping. Over at forgemagic there has been some discussion on removing the auxillary handle and using that point to build mounting brackets for vises and creating larger tables for vertical operations. This morning I am going to build an adaptor to mount on one of my Irnsrgn inspired vise tables and use it as a horizontal cutoff saw on tubing. And yes once you have a welder the need to cutoff material increases exponetially.

To make a Rose?

The little that I used charcoal I went through some of the same gyrations. Sounds as if you have the the right size charcoal. I used frie bricks to channel the heat, made a trough 4-6" wide and had about 12" depth of charcoal. Steel went into the upper center and I constantly fed the fire. Burned up several pieces when I made that improvement as I wasn't ready for the huge jump in performance.

I have been there as well. On my knees, seriously thinking death would be welcome.

Well cool, Cool, COOL

it may ZOOM

This getting tougher I wish RIES niemi were here. Dad gum it, I did it again. View lessee...vied wow we almost DIED right there.

Leave it to the chef to string all that together. But nothing like that will pass these LIPS

When youare hunting that Deer don't Forget the DEET

I'm still lookin for the BEEF. I hear hereford is the best. <:0